Beauty
Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical - Sophia Loren
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HWN Recommends
The “natural” beauty industry is on the rise because we’re scared of chemicals
When Gwyneth Paltrow launched Goop by Juice Beauty in 2016, she told Vogue how vital it was that her line of beauty products — including a face cleanser, eye cream, and moisturizer — was all-natural. “The idea that you’re exercising and trying to eat well and then slathering yourself with chemicals, parabens, and silicones — it’s not great.” A few months later, she went on The Tonight Show to promote the line. She and host Jimmy Fallon dipped McDonald’s french fries into a pot of her moisturizer and ate it, presumably to show how pure it was.
Paltrow often peddles questionable science and theories. But she’s far from alone in her skepticism toward conventional makeup and skin care.…
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Racist beauty standards are leading women of color to use more toxic products
Racist beauty standards do a lot of damage to non-white women. The immense global pressure to conform to a white European ideal—including light skin, straight hair, and a slim figure—means that women of color are particularly susceptible to developing psychological problems ranging from eating disorders to depression and generalized self-hatred.
The chemicals in your cosmetics aren't regulated
Lately I’ve been grappling with an ethical quandary—about my hair. (These mermaid waves don’t come for free.) Every few months, I go to the salon for a chemical straightening process that—in addition to costing lots of actual money—could be putting the health of myself and others at risk. And the truth is that most of us should have similar concerns about all of the beauty products we use.
The global beauty business goes au naturel
Demand for healthier ingredients has spread beyond the dinner plate. Interest in cosmetics and skincare products claiming to be “clean” and “natural” has grown in the past two years, with no regulation around either term.
When Skin Care Is Also Self-Care
A you-time routine could add a glow to your mental health, too.
‘I Feel Pretty’ and the Rise of Beauty-Standard Denialism
“I Feel Pretty” is based on a pretty little lie: Looks don’t matter. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
3 Ways Beauty Can Impact Your Health and Wellbeing
We recognize our favorite new beauty products every year in an annual awards package. This year we renamed the awards the SELF Healthy Beauty Awards, to bring the focus back to wellness, and the many roles that beauty plays in helping people feel their best.
Beauty vitamins promise shinier hair, stronger nails, and suppler skin, but do they work?
Cosmetic supplements have a lot of claims, but not enough science.
Clean, Non-Toxic Beauty
There is an utter lack of chemical policy in this country... that is pretty terrifying, primarily because most people mistakenly believe that like many other things in the U.S., the personal care industry is highly-regulated. It’s not. At all. What’s worse, in our opinion, is the flagrant green-washing and marketing—“natural,” “organic,” “pure”—that lulls people into believing that they’re making great, health-centric choices. That’s just not ok. We all deserve to know what’s in our products so that we can choose whether to use them or not.
Do Women Choose Beauty Over Health? The Surgeon General (And Advertisers) Say So
You already knew that French fries and cigarettes were bad for you. But were you aware that great hair is, too?
Non-Toxic Beauty Products: How to Detox Your Beauty Routine
Chemicals and toxins are not just in your food – they are also widely used in your favorite personal care products such as makeup, deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner!
Should People Be Concerned about Parabens in Beauty Products?
There are growing concerns about these preservatives in health and personal care products.
The Beauty-Happiness Connection
Looking at lovely things—and people—can improve quality of life
The economic benefits of being beautiful
The good news in all of this is that in reality, attraction is never a matter of physical appearance alone. Variables like character, temperament, and talent can easily push someone's appeal in one direction or the other. So while it might be the case that good-looking people have a leg up when all other things are equal, in the real world it's rarely the case that all other things are equal. In the real world, people with mathematically ideal faces sometimes say things like, "If I knew everyone in the world, they would love me."
The Pseudoscience of Beauty Products
Why the dubious claims of so many skin-care companies go unquestioned and untested.
Why Dr. Kristian Henderson Created A Clean Beauty Platform For Black Entrepreneurs
The beauty industry has historically been criticized for its lack of diversity—it’s only recently that mainstream brands have stepped up to expand foundation ranges to include women of color. As the niche clean beauty space picks up steam, Dr. Kristian Henderson wants to make sure black women have a seat at the table.
Women of Color Are Bearing the Brunt of a Toxic Beauty Industry
Inconclusive science and social pressures are putting women's health at risk.
The “natural” beauty industry is on the rise because we’re scared of chemicals
Customer mistrust is so bad now that even huge beauty companies want more regulatory oversight.
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics coalition, a project of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, works to protect the health of consumers, workers, and the environment through public education and engagement, corporate accountability and sustainability campaigns and legislative advocacy designed to eliminate dangerous chemicals linked to adverse health impacts from cosmetics and personal care products.
Cosmetic Ingredient Review
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) studies individual chemical compounds as they are used in cosmetic products. CIR relies heavily on the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) when identifying the ingredients to be assessed.
Lab Muffin
Hi! I'm Michelle, chemistry PhD and science educator, and I'm here to help you figure out which beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren't using science!
Silent Spring Institute
Unfortunately, manufacturers aren’t required to test products for safety or list all the ingredients on the label. While research continues, here are some tips to consider for taking care with your personal care.
Skin Deep
It's our mission at Environmental Working Group to use the power of information to protect human health and the environment. EWG's Skin Deep database gives you practical solutions to protect yourself and your family from everyday exposures to chemicals.
Beautycounter
Here you'll find a wealth of empowering information about ways we can all make the world healthier, along with safer products you can trust. Because we all deserve better. Our vision is bold; real answers are never timid. Help us put truth back in beauty.
Credo
We provide the largest clean beauty and skincare assortment that’s vetted by experts, then field-tested by us. We carefully examine every ingredient (so you don’t have to).
Follain
You deserve to know what you're putting on your skin—and for it to work. We only carry products that pass our mile-high standards.
Goop
We are a lifestyle brand with its roots in content across six key pillars: Wellness, Travel, Food, Beauty, Style, and Work; within those pillars, we curate and sell a tightly-edited array of products that adhere to our brand values, and we also make our own goods.
RMS Beauty
RMS Beauty is dedicated to transforming the way women use makeup, and it's about more than simply using organic ingredients. In fact, that's only the first step in creating a product that's not only non-toxic, but that actually heals and nourishes skin.
YouBeauty
YouBeauty provides a smart girl's guide to a modern lifestyle. Our goal is to arm you with facts and tips to keep you healthy, happy and beautiful.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
